Gravel Road Grabs Global Rights for Oscar Nominee Darrell Roodt’s ‘Greytown Girl’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Gravel Road Distribution Group has acquired world sales rights with producer Rani Sitaram to “Greytown Girl,” a romantic drama set in Apartheid-era South Africa from Oscar-nominated director Darrell Roodt (“Yesterday”).

The film tells the true story of a small-town South African girl, Meena, who was born with physical limitations and abandoned as a baby. Through her personal bravery she’s able to build a better life, even as her journey of self-realization and self-love unspools against the dramatic backdrop of Apartheid South Africa’s journey toward its first democratic elections.

“What I love most about ‘Greytown Girl’ is its authenticity. You can hear the characters come to life on every page,” said Roodt. “This is because Meena’s story is a true story, and so are the characters in it. They are steeped in culture, which provides depth and richness beyond the image.”

“I chose to partner with a distributor with a proven track record of supporting diverse voices, supporting the feminine, and that provides sustainable success to films in the marketplace,” said producer Rani Sitaram, who wrote the script along with Rose Cortes. “Gravel Road is the leading distribution company on the continent and a beautiful story like ‘Greytown Girl’ deserves the best team.”

Benjamin Cowley, CEO of Gravel Road Distribution Group, added: “Including powerful themes of resilience, fear, courage, sisterhood, sacrifice, self-identity and empowerment and discrimination, ‘Greytown Girl’ will have broad global appeal, particularly to female audiences. I’m looking forward to taking this premium local production to the world.”

Casting is underway for the film, which will boast a multi-ethnic cast. Production is scheduled to commence in July 2022, with theatrical and VOD release set for 2023. Gravel Road will manage international sales, as well as distribution across Africa.

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!